We have at least one vote in the affirmative to the above question. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said this week that if he ran an NFL team, he'd take USC's Matt Barkley ahead of Stanford's Andrew Luck. Then he reaffirmed his stance. The catch, or catches? Sarkisian's team plays USC this week, and he recruited Barkley at USC. Is this a valid debate?

• "Clearly, I'd go with the media favorite. After all, through eight games, Andy Dalton has more TD passes than any other rookie in the history of the NFL, and we all know he was hyped up over all other QBs in last year's draft." -- SN commenter gpisthefrog
• "I think Luck is the real deal, but Matt Barkley is a legitimate pro prospect who will have a long career as top-tier QB" -- SN commenter willbd05

How do Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley compare as NFL prospects?

•  
  53%
  Luck is a much better prospect
•  
  33%
  Luck is a slightly better prospect
•  
  4%
  Barkley is a better prospect
•  
  9%
  Luck and Barkley are equal prospects

(Total votes: 4,525)

What is Washington coach Steve Sarkisian's primary motivation in saying he would draft Matt Barkley ahead of Andrew Luck?

•  
  17%
  He genuinely believes it
•  
  42%
  He's playing USC this week
•  
  40%
  He recruited Barkley at USC

(Total votes: 51,269)

Who will have the best NFL career?

•  
  4%
  Matt Barkley
•  
  18%
  Andy Dalton
•  
  39%
  Andrew Luck
•  
  39%
  Cam Newton

(Total votes: 4,583)

What should Matt Barkley do?

•  
  46%
  Enter the NFL draft after this season
•  
  54%
  Return for another season at USC

(Total votes: 4,338)

USC and Stanford played a heck of a game Saturday, but the reason we're bringing it up now comes about 10 seconds into the video above. With Stanford trailing 34-27 late in regulation, USC's T.J. McDonald was flagged for a personal foul after hitting Chris Owusu on an incompletion. The penalty kept Stanford's scoring drive alive, and the Cardinal eventually won in the third overtime. Making matters worse for the Trojans, the Pac-12 suspended McDonald on Monday for the first half of this week's game against Colorado.

• "I get why the refs flagged the McDonald hit, but I don't get the suspension.." -- SN commenter made4malice
• "Suspending McDonald for what in all reality was a clean hit is a bunch of junk. The defender can't control where the receiver ducks his head to. I agree that helmet-to-helmet hits should be illegal, but the Stanford receiver was still juggling the ball when he got hit. What was the safety supposed to do? Wait for him to catch the ball and THEN hit him?" -- SN commenter ProBallNicaragua27

What's your take on the Pac-12 suspending T.J. McDonald as a result of a hit for which he was flagged?

•  
  19%
  Flag and subsequent suspension are fair
•  
  50%
  Flag was fair, but suspension is unfair
•  
  31%
  Flag wasn't fair to begin with

(Total votes: 6,727)

Whatýs your take on the crackdown on certain types of hits in both college football and the NFL?

•  
  29%
  Right move at both levels
•  
  17%
  Right move for college, not NFL
•  
  53%
  Going too far at both levels

(Total votes: 6,227)

Should officials have awarded USC a timeout with one second left to set up what would have been a 50-yard field goal attempt?

•  
  65%
  Yes
•  
  35%
  No

(Total votes: 6,119)

What's your take on the Lane Kiffin era at USC?

•  
  44%
  He's doing better than I expected
•  
  12%
  He's doing worse than I expected
•  
  44%
  He's doing as well as I expected

(Total votes: 6,098)

It's possible that Saturday's showdown between Matt Barkley and Andrew Luck will feature better quarterback play than a host of Sunday's NFL games (we're looking at you, Kevin Kolb and Joe Flacco). But are we looking at two quarterbacks destined for stardom at the next level?

• "[Luck] is phenomenal and just does everything right. Of course, if Barkley keeps making plays like he did against ND (two scrambles for first down on third and fourth and short), he has a chance to be an All-Pro type quarterback in the National Football League as well." -- SN commenter Sureshot23
• "Let's face it, the pressure that Barkley has been under at USC is far greater than the presure ever placed on any Stanford QB. It's Stanford for heaven's sake." -- SN commenter Bruindeath

What does the future hold for Matt Barkley and Andrew Luck in the NFL?

•  
  25%
  Both are locks for stardom
•  
  55%
  Only Luck is a lock for stardom
•  
  2%
  Only Barkley is a lock for stardom
•  
  18%
  Neither is a lock for stardom

(Total votes: 5,609)

Which of these quarterbacks is the best NFL prospect?

•  
  26%
  Matt Barkley
•  
  23%
  Robert Griffin III
•  
  24%
  Landry Jones
•  
  27%
  Kellen Moore

(Total votes: 5,331)

What will Matt Barkley do?

•  
  50%
  Enter 2012 NFL draft
•  
  50%
  Return to USC in 2012

(Total votes: 5,397)

Who faces more pressure?

•  
  75%
  Andrew Luck living up to Heisman hype amidst championship chase
•  
  25%
  Matt Barkley living up to recruiting hype amidst program sanctions

(Total votes: 5,181)

The Notre Dame-USC rivalry is just another game? Those are fighting words for fans of the Fighting Irish and Trojans. Or they would be fighting words, if they didn't come from one of their own. It was USC athletic director Pat Haden, a veteran of the classic pairing, who suggested the game holds little meaning for today's players. Is he right?

• "Who cares about the 70s, it's 2011. These teams are irrelevant for various reasons both good and bad." -- SN commenter djjohnson921
• "I love the way haters come out against ND and USC, but they still seek us out. We may be down a little but we still draw the nation's attention. I see our game as brothers fighting it out for bragging rights." -- SN commenter Charles5482

What is USC vs. Notre Dame?

•  
  24%
  Just another game
•  
  53%
  Diminished rivalry
•  
  24%
  Still a great rivalry

(Total votes: 50,567)

Which coach is more likely to restore a program's luster?

•  
  70%
  Brian Kelly
•  
  30%
  Lane Kiffin

(Total votes: 7,970)

Which school do you like more?

•  
  38%
  Notre Dame
•  
  22%
  USC
•  
  40%
  Can they both lose?

(Total votes: 7,245)

Which is the best nonconference rivalry?

•  
  32%
  Army vs. Navy
•  
  7%
  Clemson vs. South Carolina
•  
  30%
  Florida vs. Florida State
•  
  5%
  Georgia vs. Georgia Tech
•  
  25%
  Notre Dame vs. USC

(Total votes: 50,095)

• Vote: GameDay Pick 'Em | Heisman Watch | Unbeaten vs. unbeaten

Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 1 Auburn at Mississippi

• How big a win is an impressive win for Auburn?

• Will Cameron Newton go over 200 yards on the ground again?

• Vote on those and other questions about Auburn at Ole Miss!

Todd (Anchorage)

Mel, which pro QB, past or present, does Newton remind you of the most?

Mel Kiper

The best runner I ever saw as a QB was Michael Vick. He just had tremendous speed, explosiveness. This kid is the closest I've seen since Vick. Newton is 6-6, close to 250 pounds. He has great feet. He has different gears in the open field. He shocked Patrick Peterson last week. And he has the power where he can drag you. Plus, he has a cannon for an arm. He's an incredible talent. Another year at Auburn could make him and early first round pick in the draft and the top QB chosen in the 2012 draft, assuming that Luck comes out this year. Full transcript

Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 2 Oregon at USC

• Is Oregon's defense a major liability?

• Is Lane Kiffin doing better than you expected at USC?

• Vote on those and other questions about Oregon at USC!

Oscar (Los Angeles)

Is USC factored into the BCS and then simply taken out, or are they not even imputed into the computers?

Brad Edwards

Even though the Trojans can't be ranked in the coaches' and Harris polls, USC is still a part of the computer rankings (ranked in the 20s by all of them this week), so it doesn't hurt Oregon in the BCS. In fact, the computers (and maybe most humans), will consider USC to be the second-best team Oregon has played so far this year, behind Stanford. Full transcript

Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 6 Missouri at No. 14 Nebraska

• Would you take Blaine Gabbert over Taylor Martinez?

• Will beating OU give Missouri a hangover or momentum?

• Vote on those and other questions about Missouri at Nebraska!

Ryan (Lincoln, NE)

How does Mizzou try to defend T-Magic, now that he's shown he can air it out a bit?

Big 12 blogger David Ubben

Missouri learned a lot from playing Illinois earlier this season. You'll probably see a similar approach. Especially with Dominique Hamilton out, prepare to see a lot of the "Candy" formation, with four defensive ends. They need speed on the field. Aldon Smith and Taylor Martinez are going to go head-to-head a lot this week. Smith has to be a lot faster than he looked on that interception return, but I bet he was pretty tired at the end of that thing. Full transcript

Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 5 Michigan State at No. 18 Iowa

• Are you buying the Spartans as championship material?

• Would you rather build a defense around Greg Jones or Adrian Clayborn?

• Vote on those and other questions about Michigan State at Iowa!

Doug (Quad Cities)

Adam, love the blog. Michigan State is a lot like Iowa was last year. Winning close games, playing well in the 4th quarter. The spead is Iowa by 6.5 right now (which seems way high for a top tier big 10 game). Iowa might get Parker back so does Iowa play spoiler this weekend and cause MSU's luck to run out?

Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg

Doug, you can't be a spoiler when you're favored by 6.5 points. Most folks expect Iowa to win this game, and the Hawkeyes have to if they want to remain in the Big Ten race. You can bet Michigan State will use the underdog thing to its advantage. The teams certainly have similarities from the last two years, and the last three games have been very close. I'd expect another nailbiter Saturday. Full transcript

Game 5: SportsNation's burning questions for Georgia vs. Florida

• How will Urban Meyer's Florida tenure end?

• Does Georgia have the best quarterback in this game?

• Vote on those and other questions about Georgia vs. Florida!

Nick (Atlanta)

Cocktail Party Thoughts?

Ivan Maisel

It's just weird that neither Florida nor Georgia is ranked. I've been saying for a couple of weeks that Georgia is going to win the East, largely because it would be a great story if the Dawgs pulled it off and I root for great stories. I don't know how you predict which Florida team will show up in Jacksonville. But Aaron Murray is coming around for Georgia. I'm going to take Georgia. Full transcript

Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 1 Alabama at No. 19 South Carolina

• Will Nick Saban have a greater gridiron legacy than Steve Spurrier?

• Is Alabama's defense even better than last season?

• Vote on those and other questions about Alabama at South Carolina!

BB (Carolina)

How do you see Bama/SC playing out?

Pat Forde

BB: Nick Saban is the best coach I've seen at getting his teams to play at a consistent level regardless of opponent -- but I still expect a little letdown from the Tide after that Florida game. And South Carolina has had an extra week to prepare. Bottom line: Think that game will be close for a while. Maybe even a long while. But Bama will win. Full transcript

Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 17 Michigan State at No. 18 Michigan

• How many yards will Denard Robinson gain on the ground?

• How hot is the "Paul Bunyan's Axe" rivalry?

• Vote on those and other questions about Michigan State at Michigan!

Greg Jones (East Lansing)

I keep hearing all this talk about about D-Rob and how good the Michigan offense is, but I'm the best linebacker in the big ten. What do I gotta do to shut everybody up?

Adam Rittenberg

Prevent the explosion plays, Greg. Robinson is going to get his yards, but he can't get the runs of 50 yards or more where no one can catch him. You need to continue to take great angles to the football and wrap up. You're fast enough to keep Robinson in check near the line. But if he gets in the open field, no one is catching him. Full transcript

Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 12 LSU at No. 14 Florida

• Would LSU be better off without Les Miles?

• Is Florida freshman Trey Burton the real deal?

• Vote on those and other questions about LSU at Florida!

Don (Sugar Land)

Heard everybody input on LSU win vs Tenn except you. What do you think of Les Miles and what to do if he finishes 8-4 or 9-3 agian?

Ivan Maisel

I came up with the right analogy yesterday talking to Beano Cook on the phone (By the way, our newest podcast is up and awaiting your download). Les Miles should be called Coach Clouseau. He does everything wrong, and gets the right result. I'm just not sure if Steve Martin could master Miles' accent. Full transcript

Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 23 Florida State at No. 13 Miami

• Is Jacory Harris a better QB than Christian Ponder?

• Which team looked worse in a big game earlier this season?

• Vote on those and other questions about Florida State at Miami!

Chris (Boulder, CO)

Heather, Miami is reporting that there are less than 2000 tickets left for the big game on Saturday. Miami fans clearly think this is a bigger game than usual. Do you see this as the biggest game in Randy Shannon's tenure as head coach?

ACC blogger Heather Dinich

Hadn't thought of it like that, but now that you mention it, it probably is. He said the win at Clemson was one of the biggest for the program since he's been there. With each win, the next game only gets bigger. Full transcript

Game 5: SportsNation's burning questions for USC at No. 16 Stanford

• Is Matt Barkley a better NFL prospect than Andrew Luck?

• Was it better to be a USC fan or a Stanford fan over the last decade?

• Vote on those and other questions about USC at Stanford!

Matt (DC)

How long will JH stay at Stanford? Despite the loss he has clearly changed the culture in a very short time and I know UGA or LSU will be begging him to come

Mark Schlabach

I think Harbaugh is a future NFL coach if he leaves Stanford. I think he's there for a couple of years, but given his brother's success in NFL, I wouldn't be surprised to see him follow that career path. Full transcript

• Vote: Do you give Reggie Bush credit for giving up the Heisman of his own free will?
• Rank 'Em: Where would 2005 runner-up Vince Young rank among Heisman winners?
• College football chats: Ivan Maisel, 2 ET | Beano Cook, 3 ET

Perhaps as an act of conscience, perhaps as bit of public relations damage control, Reggie Bush is forfeiting the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005. Echoing the voices of many, one SportsNation blogger isn't sure history is so easily rewritten.

• "Just like we all know that Michigan never went to two Final Fours in the early 90s, or that Marcus Camby was never effective at the University of Massachusetts. Just like we know that USC was never the most dominant football school of the early to mid aughts, we now know that Reggie Bush has never won the Heisman trophy. Thank God.

  Honestly though, Do we still really believe in amateurism? Between AAU, Pop Warner, high school, and Little League, how amateur do we really think our "student" athletes are? I remember reading Charles Barkley's autobiography when I was in eighth grade; he readily admitted that he probably broke NCAA rules while at Auburn. He said he and Chuck Person and Bo Jackson -- another Heisman winner -- took free stuff all the time. Granted it was things like pizza and meals and rides to away games, but based on the vagueness of the NCAA rules he was probably in violation. -- Check out AlaBoston's blog

But while Bush's former school has cut ties with him and the hardware he helped bring to Los Angeles, would USC return everything it gained from the era he helped define in exchange for a mulligan?

Travis C. (Lake Highland)

Would it really be that much of an affront to society if the 2005 Heisman was given to Vince Young? Even without the Bush stuff, in retrospect he seemed to have deserved it anyway.

Ivan Maisel

In related news, George McGovern has just been named the winner of the 1972 presidential election. Full transcript

• Vote: Would you rather entrust your football team to Lane Kiffin or Al Davis?
• Rank 'Em: Is Kiffin one of college football's best coaches?

How bad are things for Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez? Forget the lingering anger from fans in West Virginia about how he left the Mountaineers. Forget building fury from fans in Michigan about how he's done since arriving in Ann Arbor. The real sign that his career may be in trouble? SportsNation ranked him behind Lane Kiffin when last voters considered 30 of the biggest names on the sideline in college football. That's just not a good place to be.

The latest bit of Kiffin news comes with the Tennessee Titans suing USC's coach (as well as the school) over how assistant Kennedy Pola was lured away by the Trojans. It's one thing to make an enemy of Al Davis -- NFL commissioners have been doing that for years. But getting a famous USC alum in Jeff Fisher to castigate the current coach is an impressive bit of conniving.

As USC attempts to repair any damage done to its image by recent sanctions, what's your take on the coach? Is he an entertaining rogue, a driven up-and-comer or simply a bad guy?

DT (College Football Hall of Justice)

By the way Bruce with the steps that USC has taken with Reggie now , I am cool with the NCAA lightening up on those sanctions, I think Pat Hayden was an awesome hire and I am a Sooner fan. I just think that this all needed to be done for the sport itself. Your thoughts ?

Bruce Feldman

I think moving Mike Garrett out, bringing in Haden and making the statements the school made were all great moves. I'm skeptical if the NCAA will buy that that was enough to lighten up on the sanctions though. Very few schools win an appeal process, but it certainly didn't hurt USC's chances. Full transcript

lane kiffin (usc)

USC against the world is the motto for the season in a quest for the AP title. how do you like our chances?

Mark Schlabach

Would like it better if Pete Carroll was still in LA. Full transcript